Health and aged care workers

You cannot go to work as a healthcare worker if:

you have direct patient contact AND you develop a fever (≥38°C) or history of fever (eg night sweats, chills) OR an acute respiratory infection (eg shortness of breath, cough, sore throat); you fit the definition of a suspect case of COVID-19 and need to be tested*

you meet any criteria for quarantine and have not been given exemption from quarantine to attend work; you need to stay at home

you had unprotected close contact with a confirmed case in the last 14 days^; you need to quarantine for 14 days from your last contact with the confirmed case.

*This does not include contact you may have with confirmed cases while using recommended personal protective equipment and infection control measures as part of your work.

^Early detection of COVID-19 in healthcare workers is an important protective mechanism for the higher risk population that we care for. For this reason, healthcare workers that provide direct care have a lower threshold for being a suspect case.